Ulysses nosleep

Reality is a subjective thing. If I dream who is to say it didn’t happen? Those visions still burn in my eyes. The emotions were honest. The memories haunt me. Let’s say the dream happened while I am awake. That is my condition. My eyes were turning grey as I sat in the basement of Virginia’s town house. It was the kind of basement that reminded me of the 1970’s. It was perfect place for his friends to do hard drugs. I spent most of my time with addicts because they were the only ones who would accept me. 

Not even my parents wanted me. Before they left me they named me Ulysses even though I am a girl. They wanted a boy but they got me instead.
My brown hair was long and knotted in a ponytail. I hadn’t showered in days. Old pin striped pants and a vest hung from my body. My mood had turned grey, to match my eyes. Virginia was laughing with some of his friends, high as a kite. He’s the only man who can walk better in a pair of heels than me. He was wearing purple skinny jeans and a matching pair of patent leather pumps. His parents wanted a girl. Instead they got a queen. In a flash Virginia was in front of me with something concealed in his arms. I stood up as he passed a small fuzzy baby seal to me. It as it looked back at me with large dewy eyes. The seal’s mouth opened revealing a mouth full of razor sharp fangs. It plunged its teeth in my arm. Orange blood splattered across my face and the floor. I dropped the sucker and shattered into millions of tiny diamonds. Orange blood covered me, but I felt no pain. A cool hand gripped my uninjured arm. Ted was behind me, wearing a pastel blue polo shirt and khakis. It’s been months since I had seen him in person. Ted peered at me with his vibrant blue eyes that matched his blond hair. Ted was my former flame. He was a rich kid who use to be into some heavy drugs. He cleaned up and paid for my medication. We lived together for a while. It was the only time in my entire life I had been free of my condition. That ended when Ted got a corny television show on the food channel. Apparently even when I’m cleaned up I stand out at a PG chili cook off. This was my first time seeing him since the breakup. Ted leaned in so his lips were close to my ear, “We need to talk.” I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. The next thing I remember is being in Ted’s condo. He had upgraded to make everything look modern and stark. My orange blood dripped on the harsh black tiled floor. Inside the kitchen all of the appliances and even the counter were made of stainless steel. I wanted to get some water or food to help me think straight. The shelves inside the refrigerator were empty. Two cool hands touched my shoulders. Ted was behind me. More orange blood plopped on the floor. “I’m sure not how I got here.” “You’ve stopped taking your medication.” Disappointment was written all over Ted’s face.
“I don’t need this.” “Wait Ulysses. I’m not trying to be critical. You just look really thin.”
“I’m not off ephemorax by choice.” “If it’s a money thing I can still pay.” “You’ve done enough.” “There must be some way.” Raising my voice, “All my friends are drug addicts, Ted. I have no family. It’s not like I have health insurance or a job. I have no options.” “I’m an option.”
“Not to me. Damn it Ted, I’ve been standing here talking to you bleeding my guts out and you haven’t said a word.” “You’re not bleeding.” The wound had disappeared. The seal must have been an illusion. I walked past Ted then looked back at him my mouth agape. I sank down to the floor. With no emotion, “It’s happening.” Ted kneeled down to my level. “I feel so sorry for you.” Rage hit me like a frying pan. I stood up. “I don’t need your sympathy.” “Do me a favor then. Let me make you some food. It would mean a lot me.” Sigh. “Fine.”
In side the refrigerator the shelves were packed with fresh food. Ted started moving in an unnatural way. He was so fast that his hands became blurry. He pulled ingredients from the fridge and was chopping away on the steel counter. A frenzy of clicking and clanking issued from his hands. Ted handed me a plate with beautifully assembled strawberry crepes and a fork. I gave him a, I don’t want to be an imposition, look, and he read it. “Hasn’t anyone ever done anything nice for you?” Ted asked me in return. “No.” I used the fork to cut into the warm berries. They gushed like beautiful human guts. A warm sugary soft taste filled my mouth. The warmth spread through my chest. Ted was wiping down the counter when he said with no emotion, “I sold my soul in order to become the greatest chef in the world.” “And how’d that work out for you, Ted?” I joked popping more food into my mouth. “Okay, you’re right, I got burned on the deal. This was why I ended our relationship. They said you were bad for my image and that I wasn’t getting anywhere because of you.” “‘They’ were right. I am bad for you.”
“No, you were the only good thing in my life and I threw it away. This is very important. I made a bet and if I win I’m out of the group. My show’s over, and my contract is up.” “And if you lose?” “I die.” My fork clanked as it hit the floor. “Is it that bad?” “Yes. I want you back, Ulysses. I am willing to do anything to make it happen.” “This is crazy.” “It gets worse. Without my soul, I’ll be sent straight to hell.” Tears welled up in my eyes. “I’m not worth it. You can’t do this to yourself, Ted.” “The decisions been made, it’s too late. The bet is already in place.” My head burned while my veins pumped icy blood in and out of my heart. Everything was narrowing in from of me as if I were a speeding train traveling through a dark tunnel. Echoing in my ear, “My door will always be open to you, Ulysses. Remember, always.” Everything went black. Fingertips on my cheek jostled my face taking me away from my warm place. Virginia stood over me. “Hey girl, wake up. Where have you been?” “My eyes feel like noodles.” They felt hot moist and heavy. Virginia snickered as I drifted off to sleep. I woke up sitting upright in a hallway. The floorboards beneath me were decaying. The walls looked as if they had been painted the same shade of white over and over. The paint chipped and peeled revealing new layers. The ceilings were high and surrounded by once ornate molding. It was Virginia’s trashed townhouse. The house was rotting from the inside out. A beer bottle rested in my left hand. Am I left-handed? Ted’s blue shirt hung on my body. A wave of terror washed through me. I had to find him before it’s too late. A strange old-fashioned door stood before me. The knob was golden and rusted. Inside the room had been torn apart. Ivy covered the cracked walls as if they were outside. The only thing in tact was an antique hand carved wooden cradle. Inside the cradle there was a little baby boy holding onto an empty whiskey bottle. The child was asleep. I collected the bottle away from his little curled fingers. He needed a proper bottle. I went to the kitchen; it was also a mess. The table and multiple chairs looked as if they had been thrown around the room. The light inside the fridge flickered on and off. With baby bottle in hand I made my way back to the room. The child was gone. “Looking for me?” A deep voice said from the corner. The child was now in his early twenties smoking a cigarette. He was muscular and rugged. The light from the Venetian blinds hit his face in stripes. The shadows showed off his angular bone structure. “You’re too late to help me.” He took a puff and exhaled. “I tried my best.” “I know you did. You can call me Kid,” He said peering at me with his steely dark eyes. “Looking for Ted?” Kid put his cigarette out in the wall. “Yes.” “You’re too late for him too. He died yesterday.” Kid took his time lighting another cigarette. “He’s in hell now.” I sunk down the floor grasping the cradle as I tried to stop a sudden flood of emotions. My eyes turned green with sorrow. “This is my fault.” “Did you even love him?” I paused then said, “Yes.” Kid looked displeased for a moment. He gathered himself, “What is love, Ulysses?” “Ted risked everything to be with me, and now he’s suffering for it.” “Right, Ted risked everything, but you didn’t. I asked if you loved Ted, not the other way around.” “I couldn’t tell you what love is. It doesn’t matter anymore, because in the end I couldn’t save him.” Tears pooled in my eyes turning them a brighter melon green. “I know how you can get him out of hell and into heaven.” He informed me cocking one eyebrow up. He knew he had my attention. “It wont be easy.” “I’ll do anything.” Nausea took hold of my stomach. “Good. I know a guy, who knows a guy, who knows God.” Kid inhaled and exhaled the smoke bellowing from his lips. “You think we can get God to take care of this?” Hope grew in me. “I can’t think of anyone else who can fix your predicament. I can’t get you a meeting with him but I know someone who can. If you’re going to pull this off, you’re going to have to get fixed up.” “Fixed up?” It had been ages since I had showered or brushed my teeth. “I can’t send you to diamond man looking like this,” Kid chuckled. Pools of water had begun to form in the ceiling. They grew heavy and started raining down. I stood up and closed my eyes against the pressure. The water warmed my body. The weight of my clothes drifted away. “Scrub hard,” A woman’s voice commanded. I was naked inside of a shower. I peeked my head out of the blue curtain to see a lavish hotel bathroom. A woman was in her thirties and she had dark hair and eyes. She was stylish in a way I never could be. Her clothes, nails, and make up all match, but not too much. “Why are you here?” I asked her. “It’s my job to make you beautiful for him, so you have a chance,” She said. “I’m Mary-Ann.” After my shower I climbed into a hotel robe and Marry-Anne chopped a foot of my hair off. She had it sectioned and was wrapping it around a curling iron. She could tell there was something wrong with me, and it irritated her. Mary-Anne would have been stunning if she didn’t have such a worried look slapped across her face. “You better be able to walk in heels,” Mary Ann scolded. “I am the champion of heels.” “Good, it’s the only chance you’ve got. He only goes for the tall ones.” She unraveled a curl. “Where am I going?” She sighed out of frustration. “Kid didn’t explain anything to you. You’re going to see the diamond man. There are going to be a lot of girls there. The one he likes the most will go with him to the diamond room. You’re competing to sell this man a diamond necklace. Once you have some alone time with him, if you,” She paused searching for the right word, “infatuate him he’ll do you a favor.” “I’m not a hooker,” My serious tone surprised her. “It’s not like that,” She assured me. “He’s a very cold man who has been looking for the right woman to unlock him. It really can’t be done; I’ve seen hundreds of girls try. Every week he picks a diamond necklace for the woman he’s going to fall in love with. And every week is a disappointment. If he really likes you, he might get you a sapphire or a topaz, but never a diamond. My advice is to get what you can out him.” The next thing I remember was being lined up with at least a dozen other girls. Even in my four-inch heels I was still the shortest one there. We were all wearing variations of the same little black dress. Mine was more modern than the others, because it had pockets in the front like pants do. While we all stood there as perfect little statues a party raged around us. We were in a ballroom full of amber chandeliers that cast a golden glow to the room. I held a small clutch purse full of the essentials: cigarettes, a lighter, and red lipstick. Mary Ann worked her magic on me. My eyes were smoky, my cheeks flushed, and my lips stained red. My confidence was peaking when I entered the ballroom, but it waned in comparison to my competition. The Diamond Man entered. My breath caught in my chest. He was the epitome of stylish wearing tailored suit with a thin orange tie hung on his slim frame. His hair was brown the same as his eyes. He had a crooked wolfish smile that gave him a slight demonic demeanor. He would seem more devilish but his boyish dimples off set this He walked down the line shaking hands with each of the girls eyeing them up and down. The Diamond man had a swagger to his step. He was the kind of man that women dream up. The Diamond Man fawned on the beautiful women one by one. I doubted my ability to live up to his expectations. The expectations that I had decided were his, but in fact they were my own.
I headed towards the balcony doors and pushed them open. The urge to smoke both filled up my anxiety and need to be on the balcony. My lighter malfunctioned. Behind me someone struck a match. I turned around. My cigarette lit. The Diamond Man started lighting his own cigarette. He shook the match out, discarded it, and put a hand in his pocket. There was something about his presence that intimidated me. I buried my fear from him and tried to remain calm. “What is your name?” His voice was softer than I had anticipated. He made eye contact intimidating me further. “Ulysses,” “Your eyes are turning light blue,” He said. “Couldn’t handle it in there?” “It’s not my scene.” He looked away from my eyes gazing over my head. “It’s a full moon.” I used the opportunity to turn and escape his eyes. He walked up close behind me and put a warm heavy hand on my shoulder. He leaned in and said, “Come on, let’s go.” I had been chosen. He took my hand warming it from the cool night, and we walked past a sea of jealous women. This made me feel important. He led me outside to a pumpkin the size of an SUV. “Get in.” “I don’t know how.” The Diamond Man pulled out a giant knife and carved a door. He opened the door and inside there were seats like the inside of a carriage. He offered me his hand and I entered the pumpkin. The Diamond Man closed the door sealing me in. On the other side of wall a knife popped through carving out a new door. He entered and sat next to me. The pumpkin began rocking as it moved. We slowed to a stop. Next thing I remembered was standing outside of a log cabin in the middle of the woods. I looked for the pumpkin but instead there was a green jeep covered in mud. The Diamond Man entered a long security code into the alarm attached to the cabin. The cabin was deceptive. Inside the walls were coated with steel. The door was thick and heavy. There was a case full of glowing diamonds. At first they seemed phosphorescent, but it is just lit from below. The Diamond Man ignored me as he approached the case searching the perfect diamond. He took his jacket off and threw it across a chair. He pulled a jewelers loop out of his pocket, and opened the case. I stood near the door; unsure of my role was as hostess. “What’s your real name?” “William,” He replied with his back to me, “but I prefer Bill.” He had such a normal name for being such an important person. “Which one would you choose?” I scanned the case full of large flawless diamonds. Then a small pear shaped diamond on a chain caught my attention. “The small one.” “That one is no good. Wouldn’t you like a big one?” Still his eyes resisted me. “If I had a big diamond it wouldn’t be cherished. I would just sell it. But a small one that isn’t worth much monetarily I could value with sentiment,” I said with complete honesty. Bill shifted his weight, my blunt answer made him uncomfortable. He was surprised by my honesty even though he would not look at me. “You don’t seem like a sentimental girl.” “I am not.” “Why are you here?” “To help you pick out a diamond for a girl you love.” “I don’t believe in love,” He stated with a slight edge. “Then you’re a smart man.” Bill turned and looks me right in the eye. Shock washed over his face then receded. He looked away disgusted with me. “You’re just saying that.” “No it’s the truth. Love doesn’t do anyone any good.” He took a step towards me and I took a step back hitting wall. He looked at me with a strong sense of curiosity and desire. He put one arm on the wall and leaned in. Bill got so close that our lips almost touched. Then he leaned into my ear and whispered, “Your eyes are purple.” He put one hand on my waist pulling me close to him. He brought his head back so that were facing each other. Bill kissed me with a softness I didn’t know he possessed. A pleasant burning swelling sensation filled my chest. “I’ll do whatever you want.” He pulled back looking me in my purple eyes. Bill took a couple steps back.
It was hard to meet his piercing eyes. “I need God.” “I’m not a priest.” A grin spread across his face displaying his perfect teeth. “Let me explain my situation. I have a friend who sacrificed himself for me. He is in hell and he doesn’t belong there. He belongs in heaven. I was told that God was the one who could,” I struggled to find the right word, “arrange this.” “You need that kind of help. I can make this happen.” He grabbed his jacket. “You just need one thing, the body.” Bill had a couple of muddy shovels in the trunk of his jeep. There’s something wrong about this. We exited his car with the shovels and headed towards the cemetery gate. “You’re in luck. I know the gate keepers,” Bill said. Four men exited the office outside the gate started walking towards us. All of them were wearing matching faded retro suits. Each one was a different muted shade of brown or grey. They all sported tight pants. The men seemed vaguely European. There was clearly a leader. He stood up front wearing black eighties ray ban sunglasses. Bill shook hands with the leader. “I’d like you to meet Ulysses. Ulysses, this is the Four Horsemen. Jack, Jim, Johnnie, and Jose,” Bill said as I shook each of their hands. “You guys have something to do with the apocalypse?” I said dead serious. The leader Johnnie pulled his sunglasses down and looked at me confused. “Apocalypse? They call us the four horsemen on account of our names. I’m Johnnie Walker; this is Jack Daniels, Jim Beam, and Jose Cuervo.” “You guys are named after the drink, four horsemen.” “Now you got it. So who you guys lookin’ to dig up?” Johnnie said. Bill forced a laugh. “Just because we show up at a cemetery with shovels doesn’t mean we’re looking to steal a body.” With sarcasm, “Give me some credit.” Jose opened the gate for us. We made our way up a steep hill. I stopped at a headstone as my heels sunk into the grass. TEODORE MARTIN was etched across the gray slab. I removed my heels and Bill and I began pushing our shovels into the dewy grass. “What are we suppose to do with him?” I said without pausing. “We aren’t going to do anything with it. That’s God’s job. If we get him the body he’ll provide the rest of the materials. He needs it for a ritual.” “What kind of ritual?” “I can’t describe it, you’ll see.” “Hey Bill, what’s God like?” Bill paused shrugging. “Not what you would expect.” “What does he look like?” “God only appears to us in a temporary human form. You don’t get to see his real face but rather a random figure.” Four or five feet down in to the hole I stopped digging for a moment exhausted. Bill was immersed in the mud. Both of us ruined our eveningwear. I stood above the hole. The head stone caught my eye and I burst out laughing. “Hey Bill,” I called down. “I think we have the wrong Ted.” He got this serious concerned look on his face that made me double over laughing. “What?” “This Ted Martin died forty years go,” I dropped my shovel and fell over into the dirt. “Are you serious?” He cracked a crooked smile. Bill climbed out of the hole and fell on the ground next to me. “This hole isn’t fresh, there was grass growing on top!” “Should we patch it up?” “Whatever lets just leave it.” Bill stood up and offered me a hand. Bill picked up his shovel and slung it over his shoulder like Santa does with presents. “Well, he’s got to be around here somewhere,” Bill started to walk away. “Wait.” My smile dropped. “Why are you helping me?” He walked back to me. “You’re the first girl who has ever been honest with me. You chose the small diamond.” He brushed a piece of dirt off my face. “How do I know I can trust you?” Bill looked disheartened. “That’s a good question. I don’t normally help people. You’ve got me there. It’s hard to explain. The second I saw you I knew you were going to change my life. You’re not like anyone I’ve ever met.” “There’s something you need to know about me. I have this condition.” Bill put a hand up halting my words. “I know.” I touched his soiled tie feeling the cloth between my fingers. “I’m not sure you’re real. This could just be a vivid dream or a hallucination.” “Either way you have to continue.” “What if I fall in love?” A devilish grin spread across his face. Pure delight radiated from Bill. “Are you in love with me?” His hands touched my shoulders pulling me away from all rational thought. I closed my eyes and put my hand over his heart feeling it beat under my palm. Is there nothing that will convince me this man is real? “I don’t want to, but it’s true I love you. I don’t want to wake up tomorrow with a broken heart because you were a dream.” “I am, very real.” Bill kissed me and we paused for a moment. He pulled away and descended into the misty cemetery still searching. The mist chilled my hands so I balled them in my pockets. Something brushed against my knuckles. I pulled out the pear shaped diamond necklace. As I placed it around my neck a light shined from the diamond then disappeared.
I caught up with Bill as he stood staring at a place head stone over an empty grave. “How long has he been dead?” Bill asked. “A couple of days?” “They probably haven’t buried him yet. Maybe we should go back to his place and look for clues. Do you have a key?” “Ted told me that his door would always be open to me. Even though he’s dead I don’t see why that statement wouldn’t be true.” We turned around to leave the cemetery. The thick mud began to harden and turn red. The space around us closed in. I grabbed onto Bill’s arm to steady myself as the world shifted. I blinked twice, and we were outside of Ted’s condo on the eighth floor. Ted hadn’t failed me. Sure enough the door was unlocked. The vision in Ted’s living room arrested our steps. On a platform sat a large black coffin. He had been there all along as if he were just waiting. We crept up to the giant case. I placed my ear on the top as if I were listening for a miracle heartbeat. Bill pulled me away off the coffin as if he were protecting me. “How do we know it’s really Ted?” I said. “I’ll check so you don’t have to.” Bill opened the case and peered inside. “Whoa, it’s the food guy! I didn’t know he was dead. It must not have made the news yet.” “This whole thing is making me feel uneasy.” “You need to trust me. If you want Ted to go to heaven we’re going to have to let God work his magic.” I nodded.
My dress and legs were caked with mud. “I don’t want to meet God looking like this.” Bill made a face, “Oh, it doesn’t matter. Looks aren’t important in the kingdom of heaven. Besides you’re not really going to meet him. You’re just an observer.” My anxiety was rising. What am I getting myself into? “Still.” “Fine, lets just wear some of Ted’s clothes. I’m sure Ted would want his things to be put to good use.” Bill looked strange in pastels. The clothes hung on his slim frame. I settled for a pair of sweat pants with a drawstring and a grey polo shirt. Bill lit a cigarette inside our new destination. We were in what Bill referred to as the Genesis Church. It was unlike any church I had ever seen. A red and gold labyrinth circled the floor. The lights were dim and they cast odd shadows across everyone’s faces. The church was inhabited by groups of random people. They were gathered nervously chatting. I spotted the four horsemen. All of them were wearing sunglasses despite the darkness in the room. Kid stood in the corner alone with a hardened look on his face.
Without direction people began sitting along the labyrinth. A hush fell over the room. A door shut. My body tensed because I knew I was about to see God for the first time. Lights in the middle of the circle brightened. God entered the circle. At the sight of him my eyes turned the deepest black. The blackness is the emptiness I was filled with. This sick feeling filled my guts. He was not what I was expecting. God was a white man, somewhere in his twenties. Somehow I never envisioned God being white or young. He was not very attractive. He sported a bowl haircut and had brown hair and eyes. He was wearing khakis and a white polo shirt. God was carrying a large tribal stick that contrasted with his conservative clothing choice. God’s presence was overwhelming even though he looked ridiculous. He had the attention of every living person in the room. All of us were captivated by his existence. Without speaking he began to stamp his feet and stick against the ground rhythmically. God started swinging his arms and legs around in a beautiful yet strange dance. It never occurred to me that God would be such a good dancer. Once his dance was finished he turned to the other end of the circle. A light shined on Ted’s body. It was naked and flopped over some crates so that his white butt was exposed. God approached Ted’s lifeless body. He unscrewed the giant stick and pulled the top off of it. Inside were two three foot long silver sticks. They were hooked at the ends and very slender. He pulled them out and held one in each hand. God used the sticks to tear into Ted’s spine. The body twitched for a moment then fell completely limp. God opened up Ted’s back and dug around his muscles pulling on the sticks as if they were levers. Bill reached for me and pulled me into his lap. God yanked a chunk of pink raw muscle out of Ted. It flopped on the floor with a wet thud. There were blackened grill marks across the flesh even though it appeared to be raw. God continued digging in to Ted pulling out more and more of these bizarre pink chunks. These unknown body parts were sickening. They looked as if they were the same texture and color of raw salmon. I felt wet teardrops fall down the side of my face, but they were not mine. Bill’s mouth was agape and there was horror locked in his eyes as they overflowed. As soon as it all began it ended. God strode out of the room with his head held high, trailing bright fresh blood. I stood up too fast and all the blood rushed from my head. My eyes turned grey. My whole body was shaking. The world had become a place that was too strange and unexpected. I wasn’t sure if I could live with the memories of what I had witnessed. The vision crushed me. Bill and I looked into each other’s eyes knowing that what we’ve experienced was beyond human comprehension. A pain hit my lungs. My knees failed forcing my body to the floor. I could not make myself draw air. I clawed at the red and gold labyrinth painted on the floor trying to catch my breath. Bill’s cool hand touched my warm forehead. The world around me dimmed. Darkness consumed my whole being. My eyes were crusted over. The bright whiteness of the room to invaded my sight. A television set over my bed played commercials. I squirmed inside my white sheets and toothpaste green gown. I appeared to be in my own private hospital room. “Relax, you were just unconscious for a bit,” A woman’s voice startled me. “How long?” “Just over night. I’m Doctor Anderson. Your friend Virginia gave me your medical history. Do you remember taking your medication?” I shook my head and sat upright “You mean everything I’m experiencing is--” “Real. Yes, this is all real. You’ll be just fine. You’re ready to check out.” “I don’t know how I’m going to pay for this.” “The man who brought you here said he’d cover it.” It must be Virginia, since he gave her my medical history.
“You’re ready to check out,” She ripped off a prescription from her pad of paper. “Fill this today, and take ephemorax twice a day with meals.” Dr. Anderson left shutting the door behind her. Ted’s sweat pants laid on the end of my bed. While putting them on the television caught my attention. Ted’s face peered back at me from the screen as a corny cloud backdrop drifted past him. The words WE WILL MISS YOU were slapped across the bottom. As I stared at the television as Virginia rushed into the room. He had this worried expression written all over his face. It was almost distracting enough to make me not notice his purple leopard print vest. Virginia threw his arms around me. “Thank God you’re alive.” I was uncomfortable both hearing God’s name and having Virginia be so concerned. “Ulysses, I heard about Ted.” He was about to work himself into a frenzy.
“It’s okay. Really, it’s old news.” “What are you talking about? They found his body last night.” “You must be mistaken he died days ago.” His face grew pale. “Who told you that?” This wasn’t going to be easy to explain. “This guy named Kid.” Virginia raised his voice, “And you believed him!” Virginia took in air about to yell when his breath got caught in his throat. “Where did you get that necklace?” The diamond necklace still hung around my neck. My chest swelled with so much happiness it hurt. My face turned beat red to match my purple eyes. “He is real.” “Bill brought you here, didn’t he?” “If it wasn’t you then it had to have been him.”
I did a dorky jump in the air still clutching the diamond. “Give me the necklace,” Virginia held his hand out. “No,” I turned away from Virginia hiding my prize. Virginia grabbed the chain around my neck and broke it. He forcefully pried the diamond out of my hands. Virginia opened the window and chucked the diamond out into the street. “What the hell is your problem,” I yelled. “Bill is not a good man. He used you Ulysses.” “You don’t know him the way I do.” “Don’t you get it? Ted didn’t die days ago. He died last night. You were lied to.” “Okay, so what if someone lied to me?” “Why would someone want you to think Ted was out of the picture?” I threw my hands up in frustration, “I don’t know.” “The bet.” My eyes turn grey. “Ted lost the bet.” “Did it ever occur to you what the bet was?” I shook my head. “It was you. Bill was the one who made the bet with Ted. Bill was the one who put him on television. Ted loved you so much that he bet on it.” I crossed my arms. “I don’t believe you. How did you figure this all out?” “The people who work for Bill buy coke from me and come to a lot of my parties. I got this one tough looking guy in bed and he told me the whole thing. I’ve been trying to find you, but I must have been too late.” “A tough looking guy?” Did Virginia sleep with Kid?
The news anchor interrupted us, “Last night Ted Martin from Cooking With Style was found brutally murdered in a warehouse. Officials say it looked as if someone tried to rip his spine out.” My strength depleted. My body trembled in shock. Our eyes met. “I saw Ted die. Bill told me that he was already dead. He made me watch.” Tears slipped from my eyes and rolled down my cheeks turning my eyes green. “There was nothing supernatural going on, it was all a trick. He took me to a cemetery Virginia, to look for a body that wasn’t there. He must have just been buying time trying to get me to admit… The bet worked,” I said. “I love him.” Virginia’s voice was soft and compassionate, “You have to get out of here.” I shook my head and wiped my tears. “No, I have to get revenge.” The door swung open and Bill strolled in. He was wearing a crisp new black suit with Johnny Walker’s ray ban sunglasses. Virginia backed up into the wall. Bill hugged me. I brought my trembling arms up around his neck. I don’t want to do this. “I have a limo waiting,” Bill whispered into my ear. “Ulysses, don’t go,” Virginia sobbed. “Stay out of this,” Bill directed. I turned to Virginia and say, “I’m sorry, but I have some business to finish with Bill.” Bill and I smiled at each other, but for very different reasons.

Submitted August 18, 2015 at 10:24PM by DessaDarling http://ift.tt/1J0D2Pp nosleep